Container



Dec. 22, 1936. K. E. vERHovEN I l CONTAINER Filed sept. 23, 1935 2 sneets-sheet 1 Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Application September 23, 1935, serial No. 41,707

" a light weight delivery or shipping container,

preferably foriried from a tough, strong, sheet material such as fabric board or corrug'ated board, that will wthstand the wear and tear of rough usage to which containers are commonly subjected. The' container is preferably formed from a blank which may be shipped fiat and r'eadily folded to produce an exceedingly durable, light weight container.

The container is so constructed that the parts i forrning the top and bottom portions, or either of the portions, may be positively interlocked to form rigid, Weight supporting portions and can be opened only when the container is quite completely torn to destruction. Preferably the container is formed of corrugated paperl board, which aifjords a considerable width to the edge surfaces or areas that interengage to form from the parts a positive lock and a substantially unitary top or bottom portion that cannot be separated except by tearing one or both parts. Thus a rigid, strong container is formed, the parts of which maintain their relative positions regardless of the wear and tear of rough usage to which the container is subjected, and the necessity of gluing or Vtaping the top and bottom portions is completely eliminated. The parts that form the top and bottom portions are easily and readily assembled, and the container may be locked about its contents with a minimum of eifort and in such a way as to insure the maintenance of the seal at the top or bottom or both.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear upon examination of the drawings and the description hereinafter set forth. The invention may be contained in boxes and containers of different forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. To illustrate a practical application of the invention, I have selected a container that is particularly adapted for delivery and shipping as an example of the different forms of construction that embody my invention. The particular form of container selected as an example is shown in the drawings and described hereinafter.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container formed from sheet material such as fabric board or corrugated board. Fig. 2 is a view of the container and particularly illustrates the meansV whereby the parts forming the bottom portion are interlocked. Fig. 3 illustrates the blank within limited angular movements.

be formed. Fig. 4 shows a portion of the parts which form the top portion of the box and particularly illustrates the means by which these parts are interlocked. Fig. 5 is a view of the section of the top of thev box andparticularly illustrates the position of the interlocking device.

The blank I is cut and scored to form the sides 3 and 4 and the ends 6 and 1. These parts are rendered foldable relative to each other b'y means of the score lines 8. The score lines 8 are of the type well known and are produced by depressing the board along the lines Band render- 'ing adjacent parts foldable relative to each other Thus the score lines 8 enable the parts 3, 4, 6, and 'l to be folded to planes at right angles to each other. The free edge Sections of the side 4 and the end 'l may be fastened together by a suitable clo'th gluing tape or by any suitable cementing means to maintain the blank in the form of a rectangular cube.

The sides and ends are provided with fiaps formed integral with the sides and ends and foldable at right angles to the sides and ends along the score lines |0. The fiaps, when assembled, form the top and bottom portions of the container. The side 4 is provided With the fiaps I l, each of which is provided with a longitudinal slot |3, preferably located in the vicinity of the outer edge portion of the fiap. The side 3 is provided with fiaps M, foldable relative to the side 3 along the score line IO. Each fiap |4 is provided at the edge opposite the score line l with the tab |5, foldable with respect to the flap M along the score line |6 and having a width substantially the same as the displacement of the slot |3 from the edge of the fiap II. The tab |5 is provided at its ends with locking tongues |8 which are rendered foldable relative to the tab |5 and are adapted to be folded to the plane of the tab 15 by the double score lines IS. The ends 6 and 'l are provided with the flaps 20 which serve to also protect the contents of the box.

The parts that form the top and those that form the bottom may be identical and, consequently, in assembly when so formed, special positioning relative to the top 'and bottom is eliminated. In assembly, the side 4 and the end 'I are fastened together by suitable means, and the fiaps 20 are bent along the score lines IO substantially at right angles to the plane of the ends 6 and 1.

lines IG to a plane at substantially right angles to the sides and ends. The tab 15 of the flap M is folded along the score line IG, and the looking tongues lt are folded to the plane of the tab 15 and against the interior surface of the tab. When so folded, the longitudinal dimension of the tab E5 is substantially the same as the longitudinal dimension of the slot E3. Vhen the tab l5 has been inserted in the slot, the locking tongues Hl are returned to their normal position by folding along the double score lines 19 away from the interior surface of the tab 15. When so folded the looking tongues 58 extend beyond the end edges of the slot l3 and extend over parts of the flap ll adjacent the ends of the slot 13. The looking tongues l8 abut along the end edges of the slot B3 to postively interlook the portions forming the bottorn. The fiaps 20, subsequent to the assembly of the looking device, are folded down along the score lines Ill against the interioi` surfaces of the fiaps H and M. The box may then be packed with whatever it is desired to ship or deliver.

When it is desired to close the box, the others of the fiaps 2% are folded along the score lines lll and at right angles to the ends 5 and 'l' to form the protective fiaps of the top portion. The iiap ll is then folded along the score line Ill and over the laps 2d. The looking tongues 18, if the tab iii of the top of the box is also provided with looking tongues E8, are folded along the double scored lines 99 and against the interio'r surface of the tab E5. The tab l5 is then bent along the score line E6 and is inserted in the slot E3, the longitudinal dimension of which is substantially the same as the length of the tab, and the transverse width of which is sufiicient to receive the double thickness of board where the looking tongues are folded against the tab. When the tab has been inserted in the slot (3, the fiap Eli is pushed down to a plane at substantially right angles to the side 3, and the looking tongues press against the interior surface of the flap I l. The looking tongues |8 tend to open back to the plane of the tab |5 along the double score lines 19, and consequently the ends of the looking tongues drop slightly because of the play between surfaces of the flap M and the flap 20, thereby locating the relative thick edges of the tongues in abutting engagement with the end edge parts of the slot |3. Thus if the fiaps M and l l are pulled toward Vertical planes, the tighter the tab |-5 and the tongues engage the edge of the slot, and oonsequently the parts that form the top of the box cannot be separated until the tough board of which the box is formed is torn and ripped open. Thus the strength of the oontainer as a load sustaining agent is limited only by the inherent strength of the material employed in the construction of the box, that is by the fracturing point of the material of the box.

I claim:

In a container formed from elastic, relatively thick, sheet paper, flaps formed integral with the ends of the container and foldablc at substantially right angles to the ends, other fiaps formed integral with the sides of the container and foldable over the first narned flaps, one of the second named flaps having a tab foldable relative to the said fiap, looking tongues hingedly connected to the ends of the said tab and foldable against the inner surface of the tab, another of the second named fiaps having a slot adapted to receive the said tab when the tongues are folded against the inner surface of the tab to locete the tab and tongues between the first named fiaps and the flap having the slot, the looking tongues biased by the material to move them to positions inclined to the plane of the tab to produce abutments along edges of the tongues and along edge parts of one of the edges of the slot to securely lock the parts together.

KRAMER E. VERHOVEN. 

